We Are
by Spade's Shadow Queen
Summary: But did you see the flares in the sky?Were you blinded by the light? Did you feel the smoke in your eyes? ... You are not alone. 'Cause someone's out there, sending out flares - The Script The Tree of Genesis has been destroyed and life has moved on, or has it really? What the aftermath leaves behind is something even Mahiro and Yoshino can't understand but have to face. (MXM)
1. Yoshino : If I Were

**AUTHOR NOTE : Hi! I hope you all enjoy this story! I apologize beforehand if my updates are inconsistent, but I'll try my best! Thanks for reading and please review!**

 _The end is the beginning._

It never was.

Yoshiro hated it, no, more like he detested it. The pitying looks the people on the street gave him and the unsung praise within their eyes, thanking him for being a part of the story that destroyed the Tree of Genesis.

He had never decided to act, it had always been Mashiro. The decision to avenge Aika's death, meeting Hakaze, destroying the tree. In the end, he was, as Aika always said, a follower.

But what happened to the follower now? After everything had ended and conclusions drawn, was there any room for someone who's only job was to follow someone else?

"Yoshino! Get over here, we're going home," Mahiro yells.

 _Mahiro_.

After everything had happened, he had moved on. Enrolling into a good college and set to go into politics to change the world, he was aiming for new heights. Hakaze was intent on going to college too, and everyone else was easing into the semblance of what they called life post Tree of Genesis

"Yoshino, seriously, what are you doing?" Mashiro yells angrily, impatient, as he storms over, the wind whipping his golden hair as it caught the setting sunlight.

Ignoring him, Yoshino leans over the railing, the ocean waves lapping against the supports of the deck jutting out into the wild, endless ocean.

With an angry sigh, Mahiro walks over, his eyes blazing with that angry light that had simmered down, but sometimes, just sometimes it came back to scorch everything around him. Fire that burn so bright was so hard to contain, with that unobtainable brilliance hidden in it's depth, it was just that much more addicting.

"What would you do if I jumped in?" Yoshino asks with a soft whisper, his words barely heard above the vicious wind and thundering waves.

"What are you saying?" Mahiro asks angrily.

"What more is there to say? It's a simple question really," Yoshino asks, his face the ever calm.

"For what fucking reason would you do it in the first place. I mean, you're dating Hakaze aren't you? And everything else isn't absolute shit," Mahiro retorts angrily.

"Hakaze… Do I really like her? Or am I just getting pulled along again? " Yoshino says, still gazing into the endless ocean.

"What about me," Mahiro says, the question so sudden that it seemed like nothing was moving.

Yoshino freezes, the sound of his heart beating rushing into his ears, deafening and drowning out everything around him.

What did he think about Mahiro…

"What about you? You're free now, what could I possibly do," Yoshino replies, opting to gloss over the truth.

Mahiro, unimpressed by the response, jerks Yoshino from the slick railing. "Be real, What. About. Me."

" That still doesn't answer what you would do if I jumped in," Yoshino mutters, reluctant to give his answer.

"You wouldn't even have the chance," Mashiro says with a sneer, angrily jerking Yoshino away from the railing.

"Wait, I was joking," Yoshino says, trying to ease the pain from Mashiro angrily pulling him towards the car.

The two of them tumble into the car, the door clanking close behind them as the car lurches forward.

Leaning against the headrest of the car, Yoshino sighs as he rubs his wrists, already knowing that bruises would form tomorrow. Looking next to him, he see Mahiro scowling as he stares out the window.

In an instant, their eyes meet in the reflection of the window and Mashiro turns around, eyes still simmering as he says, " What are you looking at".

"Nothing, nothing at all," Yoshiro replies. Sometimes, just sometimes, Mahiro was too much for even him to deal with.

Mahiro stares at Yoshiro for a few seconds, and with a ghost of a sigh, one that barely escaped turned back to stare at the landscape speeding past them.

"We're home," Yoshiro mutters as he and Mahiro push through the door, shrugging off shoes and extra layers.

After they had defeated the Tree of Genesis, no one had gone around to moving out, the familiarity in a changing world a constant that everyone unconsciously had chosen to keep.

"Welcome home!" Hakaze says, popping out from the living room, a smile and blush splayed across her face.

Unconsciously, Yoshino steps back only to be attacked with a hug by Hakaze. In Hakaze's excitement, they bump into Mahiro who was trying to get past them.

Eyes flashing dangerously, Mahiro mutters, " Look who's acting like an idiotic school girl".

"What did you say!" Hakaze says, slightly bristling.

"Nothing, _princess,_ " Mahiro snaps and angrily walks to his room.

"And he's at it again," Hakaze scoffs and then looks up at Yoshino.

 _Is he…_


	2. Mahiro : Locked Away

**AUTHOR NOTE : Sorry for all the delays in updates! Here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it! Please tell me how what direction you'd like the story to go. Thanks!**

Standing in front of the mirror, Mahiro stares at himself. He was the same. Curling gold hair and sharp red eyes; and he was still angry. Always angry. Yoshino never understood the quiet demise that Mahiro suffered, albeit it was his own choice. Telling Yoshino wasn't going to help either way, and the anger was here to stay.

His hands hover over his throat before he unbuttons his shirt, the reflection in the mirror glaring at him as he undresses.

The door creaks open and Yoshino peers in, his eyes meeting Mahiro who was half undressed. "Mahiro…".

"What do you want" Mahiro says, exasperated as he continues undressing.

"Just wondering if I could come in" he says as he closes the door gently behind him with a sigh. "She's suffocating sometimes" he says sheepishly.

With a scoff, Mahiro replies "You just realized that?".

In that ever calm manner, Yoshino continues speaking, " Even so, she's not as bad as you make her out to be".

"Oh really, then mind telling her to shut up once in awhile," he snaps.

"You need to calm down, I get that you don't like her, but she doesn't mean it," Yoshino says with a sigh.

"Well, you do you and keep thinking that way," Mahiro says vehemently, slamming the door as he walks out, heading outside for a run to calm frayed nerves.

Mahiro stands in front of the building, guiping in the cold air. Small clouds appearing as his tension mists away. He closes his eyes and breathes in, slipping his earbuds in as he starts to run. There was a calm to running, systematic as the heavy beat of the song pounded his thoughts out of his mind. The street was crowded, a bustle that had started to grow as normality increased. Racing down a couple of blocks, bright lights flashing around him, he turned a corner, reaching one of the smaller side streets within the city.

As he runs even farther away, his mind wanders, shifting between the shadows that lined the edges of thought. His mind raced far faster than he could keep up with, no matter how fast he ran.

Suddenly, he hears a scream fill the air and a disturbance crowding the sidewalk behind him. From the corner of his eye, he see a blur heading towards him. Staggering towards him was a man holding a sword, a weird blue light warping around him. "There you are, so called savior. This time, you're the one who'll disappear" the man says, suddenly lunging at Mahiro with a grace that didn't match his staggering motions.

Mahiro was no fool though, and he quickly dodged the attack, pulling out a small smoke grenade he had pocketed previously, paranoia playing it's role in preserving his existence "Really, why does it seem like everyone is out to get me" he mutters, rushing through the smoky haze back towards the high rise.

The door slams harshly as Mahiro walks back into their accommodations, a the dangerous blaze alight his eyes. In the end, no matter how much he tried, it was just too hard to temper that brightness down. He immediately heads towards Hakaze, yelling at her. "Would you care to explain why someone shrouded with power from the Tree of Genesis just attacked me? Was there something that you just managed to forget to tell us. Do you still frickin have power that you've refused to tell us!".

"What are you talking about!" Hakaze yells back, clearly startled by Mahiro's outburst. For all it was worth, Mahiro still respected Hakaze, and didn't make a scene with her despite the tension that lied between the two.

"Calm down" Yoshino interjects.

"It's back, the Tree of Genesis is back" Mahiro exclaims. "There are people using it's magic to attack me and some pieces of the roots have started moving again. You should see what it's like outside. Just a from a few minute run, I can see that there's some panic that's arising"

"It's just what we feared" Samon says as he walks in with a sigh, interrupting the rising argument.

"What do you mean?" Yoshino asks.

"Defeating the Tree of Genesis was just the first step to preventing it from taking over the world. The small roots that it had planted itself throughout the world still hold in themselves small amounts of power that could still destroy the balance that we hold now" Evangeline says as she walks in behind her husband.

"What does that mean…" Yoshino whispers hoarsely, the severity of the issue settling in.

"That we're still living the nightmare" Mahiro spits out as he once again, heading into his bedroom, closing himself from the world around him.


	3. Yoshino : We Can't Always Remain Here

The city nightscape laid before him, twinkling lights that represented something so much larger. He leaned against the railing of balcony, sighs escaping into the night air. Preparations were set and he was ready to set out on the next chapter of the adventure.

"Here," Mahiro says as he walks up behind him, handing him a can of soda. "A toast".

"Thanks," Yoshino replies with a small smile and pops the can open, tilting his head back as he takes a long gulp. The carbonation tingled and he let out a satisfied sigh.

Mahiro walks up to the edge of the balcony and leans against the railing, wind tossing his golden locks into his face. "Are you ready? We're off once again"

Yoshino hesitantly turns around, voice warbling as he says, "Mahiro … You aren't going".

"What do you mean, " Mahiro says slowly, a chill running down Yoshino's spine. There was an ice to his tone that frightened Yoshino; through anger and fire, there was still a heart behind his actions, but now…. All the warmth seemed to have faded away.

"You have so much of your life in front of you and shouldn't give it up for this adventure. There's just so much more for you to do, so we decided that I'm the only one who's going this time" he says hesitantly, knowing any word he said could light the fire to the fuse.

"Why can't I go, why are you deciding for me!" Mahiro yells angrily, the wind carrying his voice away into the dark night.

"I'm the one with the least to lose. I have nothing here left waiting for me to do, so being the only one to leave is only logical" Yoshino says calmly, hiding his emotions behind his usual facade.

Mahiro scoffs and then replies, "That's all you ever say, but you always seem to forget the same thing. What. About. Me.".

Unconsciously, Yoshino inches backwards, the intensity in Mahiro's gaze scalding. "You're worth more than being locked to me".

"We both know that's not the answer either one of us is looking for" he snarls back and angrily walks into the living room, tossing his empty can into the trashcan in front of him.

In the end, Mahiro didn't even bother to say goodbye.


End file.
